


Cruor

by TearfulShadows



Category: Black Lagoon
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-18
Updated: 2013-12-20
Packaged: 2017-12-20 13:46:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/887970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TearfulShadows/pseuds/TearfulShadows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rock was betrayed by the Lagoon Company due to a certain newcomer. Angry at their betrayal, Rock seeks the help of some old friends and new allies. But what if Rock wasn't really Rock? What if something, or someone, was awakened who was long thought dead?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Betrayal

Rock had been sent out to the dregs of Roanapur to buy supplies from the Rip-Off Church.  Revy had, as usual, used a lot of ammo and the like (she even managed to completely trash three of their best guns) on their last job so they were in need of more.

Dutch decided to send Rock because he was far better at negotiating and Yolanda seemed to like him better than the other members of the Lagoon Company.  It had absolutely nothing to do with how badly Revy and Eda got along.  Or how irritated Revy had been since Greenback Jane had joined the crew of the Lagoon Company.  It had taken a bit longer than usual because Eda had insisted on him staying for a drink but her finally snuck away from the Rip-Off Church and drove off before anyone could stop him.

Rock parked the car outside the office, sighing deeply, and picked up the box.  After a year of living in Roanapur, he was far more used to the manual labor than he had been before. Sometimes he felt like physical labor had once been second nature to him but every time he had that thought, it quickly slipped away and he couldn’t recall it no matter how hard he tried.  He had developed lithe muscles and a tight eight pack.  His skin was a smooth golden tan and his black hair went just passed his ears, giving him that ‘I just got fucked’ look.

Hearing raised voices, Rock stopped outside the door.  He remembered the last time he had walked in a room when the people inside had been in the middle of an argument.  He had ended up getting shot in the arm and he was not eager for a repeat performance, even though something inside him told him that he was no stranger to pain.  His curiosity, however, was peaked when he heard his name mentioned.

“It’s not like you guys really need Rock! What does he ever do for you? He doesn’t even carry a gun for fuck’s sake! He’s utterly useless so why the hell do you keep him around?” Rock heard Greenback Jane exclaim. 

“Rock is valuable to us.  He negotiates better than anyone I know and he is really intelligent.  We have some great conversations! Not everyone is fit to carry a gun but just because someone doesn’t carry one doesn’t make them any more useless than someone who does carry one.  It just means that they are better in different types of situations.” Benny’s voice said happily.

“You know, I really hate to agree with this fuckin’ bitch but Rock really is more trouble than he is worth.  I mean, look at how many times we have had to get his ass outta trouble.  Maybe he just isn’t worth the effort anymore.  He never was all that helpful and he did manage to piss Balalaika off in rocky situations.  Why the hell did we kidnap him in the first place anyway?” Revy said in total boredom.

“Revy! Think of what you are saying! You’re talking about Rock…your partner! Sure you’ve never really been all that understanding of Rock but to say that we need to get rid of him…that’s just outrageous!” Benny exclaimed. He couldn’t believe that they were actually talking about throwing Rock away like week old trash.

“Benny! That’s enough.  Rock has become more of a liability than an asset.  It’s time that he goes.” Dutch said.

“Oh but he’s good enough to send out to get new weapons and such!” Benny exclaimed angrily.

“No buts Benny! As soon as Rock gets back with those rare guns and ammo, we will get rid of him.  That is my decision.” Dutch said with finality.

“Farewell to bad trash I say.  Stupid cocksucker.” Revy muttered.

Greenback Jane smiled.  “I knew that you would see things my way.” She said, satisfaction coating her voice.

“At least let me be the one to tell him that he is being let go.  I’m apparently the only one who cares about him here.” Benny said acidly.

“Oh but Benny…you misunderstand.  We never said that we were letting him go. We can’t risk him going to that Russian bitch or Chang, even though we all know he’s too much of a pussy to actually do that.  No, we plan to kill him and I’m going to be the one who puts a bullet through his bleeding heart. This time, I won’t just be threatening him with my gun.” Revy said with an insane grin.

Rock silently lurched away from the door.  So they thought he was a liability? They wanted him dead?  After everything that they had gone through, his own partner wanted to shoot him dead? Scenes were flashing wildly behind his eyes…memories that he had thought he had locked away a long time ago returning to the surface.  His eyes widened as he stalked out of the building, uncaring of what was being said in the room behind him.

He placed the box back in his car and peeled away from the building like the very hounds of hell were chasing after him.  Driving to the edge of Roanapur and deep inside the forest on the outskirts, he turned the car off and took a deep breath.  His memories were beginning to sort themselves out and reorganize themselves.  He knew exactly what needed to be done now.  It was time to reconvene the old crown and perhaps gain more allies.

Rock pulled out his cell phone and dialed a semi-familiar number.

A grin split his face when a female’s voice asked, “Hello?”

_“Mother, I believe it’s time we talked.”_ Rock said in perfect Russian.

“W-who is this? Why are you calling me Mother? There was only one person who did that and he’s been dead for a long time.” Balalaika said, the shock in her voice quickly bleeding into anger.

_“There are many things that you have not been privy to.  I’ve just now regained the memories of my old life and I think we need to meet and clear the air.  Bring your Sargent to the forest on the extreme edge of Roanapur. You will see a car there.  Pull up there and you will find me.”_ Rock commanded in a neutral tone.

“I swear if this is someone’s idea of a trick, I will kill you myself.” Balalaika growled threateningly.

_“There is no trick.  Just come out here. You won’t regret it.”_ Rock promised.

“Very well. We’ll be there.” Balalaika said curtly before hanging up.

Rock heaved a sigh.  No that he remembered the events of his past, he was mildly disgusted with his behavior and couldn’t wait to reunite with his Mother.  He dialed the last number and waited as it rang three times before a man picked up. “Yes?”

“Mr. Chang, this is Rock.” He said.

“Well this is a nice change.  I’m the one that usually calls you so what is it that I can I do for you?” Chang asked in slight suspicion.

“I need you to get Shenhua and yourself to the forest on the edge of Roanapur.  There is some information that you should be aware of and maybe we can come to an agreement.” Rock said mildly but there was an unmistakable note of a command in his tone.

“And if we don’t?” Chang returned challengingly.

“Then the bargain is off the table and I will hunt you down myself after my business is completed.” Rock said frigidly.

“You sure drive a hard bargain.” Chang said with a low whistle.  “It sounds like it is in my best interest to be there so I will gather Shenhua and be there soon.” Chang said and hung up.

“Good.  That makes things easier on me.” Rock whispered to the dial tone.

He sat in the car in silence until a black limo pulled up next to the car.  Rock got out of the car, careful to keep his face blank.  Boris got out of the sleek limo and opened  the door for Balalaika.

“Rock?!” Balalaika asked in shock.  “What the hell do you think you’re playing at?” she said angrily, hand already reaching for her gun.

“You don’t want to do that.” Rock said calmly.

“And why not?” she asked coldly.

A black Sedan pulled up and Chang and Shenhua stepped out.  “You called?” Chang asked, completely ignoring the tension coating the air thickly.

“Why you call us here?” Shenhua asked.  “And why so short over phone?”

“I don’t have time for children’s games.  I’ve just learned that my former team, except for one, wants me dead.  They were going to kill me as soon as I delivered the rare weapons that I had just negotiated from the Rip-Off Church.  Now I’m sure you can see how that would pose a bit if a problem, yes? Now, there is some information that you all should know.” Rock said with a slight sneer on his face.

 “Information? What kind of information could you possibly know that would interest us?” Balalaika asked mockingly.  As far as she knew, Rock was just a harmless ex-businessman from Japan.  He was no threat; she had already assessed his danger levels shortly after they had first met.

“I’m sure you’ve all heard of Cruor?” Rock asked aloofly.

The Russian’s eyes sharpened.  “The legendary shadow assassin? Nobody knows his true identity or what happened to him.  After the Soviet Union collapsed, Cruor disappeared and he has not been heard of in years.  It is assumed that he is dead.” Boris said, wondering where exactly Rock was going with this.

“Cruor’s name is Krishna Grimshaw and I’m very much alive.” Rock said with a dangerous smirk.

“You’re Cruor!?” Balalaika and Boris exclaimed in shock, unable to comprehend what Rock had just told them.

 


	2. Stories and Allies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rokuro Okajima is officially dead! Krishna Grimshaw (Cruor) is back and out for revenge. He gathers his allies and plans for the future.

“I know it is a little hard to believe but it is true.” Rock said grimly.

"You lie! Cruor was tortured and killed three months before the Soviet Union fell. I was there when the Colonel received the news." Balalaika exclaimed, fluctuating between shock and anger.

She remembered the day that Cruor was pronounced dead well. Everything was going really great for the Soviet army. They were pushing the revolutionaries back and the Soviet Union was not suffering many casualties. Balalaika had been called to the Colonel's office to give her report when the Colonel had received a phone call. That phone call marked the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union.

When news of Cruor's death had spread throughout the ranks, morale was severely lowered. Cruor was the single best assassin the Soviet Union had ever seen and he was sent on missions to kill the top priority political figures and other key individuals. The Soviets still fought, but they had no chance at all when their best fighter was taken out of the equation.  Cruor was also the person that everyone felt comfortable talking to; he bolstered their confidence and was there for them in their darkest moments.

Rock's eyes became haunted. "I was tortured, that part is true. For two months I was kept in a dark room with stone walls.  There were all kinds of tools and other things in the room. They tried everything they could think of to get me to talk but I refused; I would not give up our secrets. They asked me all kinds of questions. What was the Soviets' next move? What were our plans? Who were the key people? Where was our base? I was kept chained to the wall most of the time and was only given minimal food and water; only enough to keep me alive."

"How in the hell did you escape?" Boris asked shocked. He couldn’t see how Cruor could have survived; even the most hardened of soldiers could not have withstood that kind of torture.

"It wasn't easy." Rock said flatly, his eyes distant as he remembered that day. "I was physically weak from blood loss and lack of nourishment. I was skinny; so skinny that I could fit through the bars in my cell. I had been turning my wrists for days, trying to get them through the manacles I was kept in and making them raw and bloody. Finally, my left wrist broke so and I was able to slip it out of the chain. After that, it wasn't too hard to get the other one out."

Chang looked sick.  He couldn’t imagine breaking his own wrist to try to stay alive and escape.

Rock took a deep breath. "I stumbled around my prison for three hours, stopping quite a few times to gather my strength.  I met many of my torturers and painstakingly fought my way through them.  I finally found the exit after gaining a lot more wounds on my body. The place I was kept in was in the middle of a huge forest. I got probably 300 yards away from the building before I collapsed and blacked out. When I woke up, I was in a hospital in Mongolia. It took a further two weeks before I was healed enough to leave. By then, the Soviet Union was on its way to collapsing so I assumed a new identity and let the world believe that Cruor had died."

"Hold one second. Why this Cruor important?" Shenhua asked skeptically.  There is no way that one person was so important that an entire nation fell because he was gone.

Balalaika and Boris looked shocked while Chang nodded in agreement.

"Cruor was the highest ranking military officer in all of the Soviet Union's troops. He was the one everyone called in for back up; the deadliest assassin in the world. He was often said to be quick as the wind and silent as the snow falling from the sky. If there was anyone you wanted fighting at your back, it would be Cruor. His skills were unrivalled. His enemies trembled at his name and his prey fell before his feet.” Boris said in awe.

"Do you remember Kings Vadisi?" Balalaika asked slyly.

"Of course! That was the biggest massacre of the rebel army in the history of that war. No one was left alive!" Chang exclaimed, not sure how that was relevant.

"That was all done by Cruor alone." Balalaika said proudly.

"No way. You are trying to tell me that one person killed over 500 people all by himself?" Chang asked incredulously.

"I saw him come back. He was covered in blood and soot and was bleeding rather heavily from the side." Balalaika explained.

"Lucky bastard got in a cheap shot.  I shot him through the eye but he was alive long enough to knife me in the side.” Rock grumbled.  “That was the first time that we had a conversation though. You dressed my injury and we talked halfway through the night." Rock said with a smile.

"I started tending to you every time you came back from your missions and each time I learned more and more about you." Balalaika said with a soft smile.

"Of course. You became the mother that I never had." Rock said with a smile of his own.

"Mother?" Chang asked. "Where was your own?"

"My mother was killed by my father. She was loyal to the Soviet Republic until death but my father, Dante Allegretti, was a traitor. He began passing information to the revolutionaries when I was three and he killed my mother, Iskra Grimshaw, when I was six. On my eighth birthday, my father was executed for treason. I became an orphan." Rock explained with a dark scowl.

"You use your mother's maiden name?" Chang asked.

"I refuse to carry the name of a traitor as my own." Rock said haughtily.

"Where you go when father die?" Shenhua asked.

"I ran, living anywhere I could find a place to stop for awhile. After a year, I met up with my mentor, Dmitri Ignashov. He taught me the ways and tricks of life. My travels became easier and I took on the role as a hired gun. Shortly after, I met a very good friend who taught me the ways of an assassin. She brought me in to her home and essentially raised me for three years. It was then that I was noticed by the Soviet army. They put me through rigorous tests and I received more training. At the tender age of thirteen, I was enlisted into the Soviet military." Rock explained as if he was telling someone else’s story.

"Only thirteen? How could they allow that?" Chang asked, appalled.

"I had no family.” Rock shrugged. “They were in need of someone with my skills so I accepted. The military pays very well, which was something _I_ was in desperate need of. I found a place to belong and my unit soon became my surrogate family." Rock said with a fond smile. "I don't really have anyone now though. I'm sure they all believe me to be dead; it's been so long since I've seen any of them. They may not even remember me anymore." Rock mused sadly.

"They do." Boris interrupted abruptly. "There has not been a day that has gone by that they haven't thought of you."

"Perhaps I will pay them a visit at some point. I have some other business to take care of first." Rock growled. "I'll show them how useless I am." He muttered angrily.

“You know, you could always ask them to help.  They would jump at the chance to avenge you.” Boris commented.  There was no need to mention that there wouldn’t be enough of the Lagoon Company to fit in a shoebox after Cruor’s men finished with them; it was pretty much an established fact.

"I always thought that you were innocent. How did you manage to pull that off?" Chang asked curiously. He was usually good at spotting people with those kinds of pasts and it was unsettling to know that he had missed the one person with the bloodiest history. Were there others with similar bloody histories around him and he just hadn’t noticed?

Rock's eyes became hollow and he spoke in a dead voice. "I've seen a great many horrors in my life. I was only seventeen when I was tortured. In my four years of serving in the military, I have committed atrocious acts, seen horrible crimes being done, and had unspeakable terrors done to me. The Soviet Union fell so I had to adjust. For ten years, I played the innocent, clueless businessman." Here some emotion crept into his voice. "I'll admit; it was hard the first few years but I managed. It's honestly not that hard anymore. I've had my moments but they were short and quick to pass. I actually became rather good at money managing." Rock said with a bitter smile.

"What you want from us?" Shenhua asked.

"I would like to have a temporary place to stay but it's not imperative; I’ve survived worse. Other than that, I want to know if I have your support. I will be out for revenge and I need to know if I need to fight my way through you guys too. Revy, Dutch, and that bitch Jane will die." Rock said, fury flashing in his eyes.

"And what of Benny?" Balalaika asked.

"I have no problem with Benny. He tried to get them to see reason so he is not on my shit list." Rock explained with a slight shrug, the fury dancing in his eyes cooling a bit as he thought of the only person that he truly got along with at the Lagoon Company.  “He was the only one that I could have a decent conversation with.”

"I'm in. Never liked crazy bitch anyway. Greenback Jane is bonus." Shenhua said with a smile, already envisioning their faces when they see Rock again. "I want to watch revenge."

"You can stay with me at my place if you want. I will also help and I can see about getting some of Roanapur's most notorious bad asses together to spar with you." Chang offered with a hesitant smile.

Rock smiled. "Thanks Mr. Chang. Please don't tell anyone that I am Rock. I will be going back to my real name now, which means that Cruor is coming back from the dead."

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines at that proclamation.

"I will let the others know about Cruor's return. I bet that they will want to see you for themselves. You can take up your old post as highest ranking bastard in the military." Balalaika said with a grin. She was happy that Cruor, her son in all but blood, was alive and returning to the assassin scene.

"I look forward to greeting the old crowd. It's been a long time. Are you sure that they will accept me?" Rock asked somewhat anxiously.

"With open arms." Boris interjected with conviction.

"What will you do in the mean time? Training won't take up all of your time." Chang pointed out.

"I will be an assassin for hire. Anyone that has money and is in need of my particular skill set is welcome to hire me. I'm not all that picky. I just need to make some extra money. I'm sure that someone is in need of me." Rock said, sadness creeping into his eyes as he remembered the betrayal of his ‘friends’.

"Hotel Moscow will definitely use your skills." Balalaika assured him gently. "We can always use someone with your skills."

"The Triad will ask for your help too." Chang said with a smile.

"But know this. I will not work against either of you. Any missions that I am asked to do that goes against Hotel Moscow or the Triad, I will not accept." Rock informed them quietly.

They both smiled and nodded.

"You can begin your training tomorrow if you’d like.  Just come to my office at 8:30 in the morning and I will help you.  You should probably change your appearance so that nobody recognizes you as Rock.” Balalaika suggested.

"If we could stop at my apartment before we head to your house, Mr. Chang, then I can rectify that. It will feel really good to be back in my regular clothes again. It's been so long since I've been in my assassin clothes." Rock said with a happy smile. It was the first truly happy smile that they had seen since they met him.

"I will see you tomorrow then, Ms. Balalaika, Boris." Rock said politely.

They bid him farewell and drove away, leaving Rock with Shenhua and Chang.

"Are you ready? You will have to tell me where your apartment is at." Chang asked.

"Will see soon, Krishna. Welcome back." Shenhua said before running off.

"Shall we?" Chang asked charmingly, opening the door for Rock.

Rock rolled his eyes slightly and got in the car. Chang walked around to the other side of the car and got in the driver's side. He started the sleek black car and pulled out of the forest. Rock gave him directions to his apartment, which was on the outskirts of Roanapur. After about fifteen minutes of driving, the car pulled up to a modest apartment complex.

"My apartment is the penthouse on top." Rock told Chang as they walked through the front door and to the elevator.

"How can you afford all this? I know this is an expensive apartment complex." Chang asked curiously then winced. "I'm sorry; you don't have to answer that if you don't want to. That was a really rude question."

"It's fine." Rock said with a laugh. "I still have a lot of money left over from my Soviet days and, after Revy and Dutch kidnapped me and brought me to Roanapur, I decided to indulge myself and bought this apartment." Rock explained with a shrug.

"You got kidnapped?" Chang asked in shock. He had never heard the story of how Rock came to Roanapur and started working with the Lagoon Company.

"That's a story for another day." Rock said with a fond smile, remembering how simple it was back then and how he had to repress his instincts a lot for the first few months after he had been kidnapped.

At that time, they had reached Rock's apartment and he unlocked the door and threw it open. "Welcome to my humble abode." He said, graciously gesturing to the open doorway.

Chang's mouth dropped open and he took his sunglasses off to better see Rock's apartment. The walls were done in deep crimson and the floor was a dark wood. The furniture was all black with silver and red pillows. Silver rugs were strewn about the floor. Rock went through to the bedroom and Chang was once again completely at a loss for words.

The bed was on a raised dais in the center of the room and covered in black silk sheets. There were red and silver pillows on top of it. The walls were once again done in crimson with dark wood floors. A bright red tapestry hung behind the bed on the wall and a red rug was spread across the floor.

Rock went to the closet and opened the door to reveal a walk-in closet. He pulled a black bag out of the furthest drawer in the closet and headed for the bathroom. He opened the door and revealed a bathroom done in greens and blues. A half hour later, Rock walked back out of the bathroom and he was completely unrecognizable.

His shoulder length hair was slightly wet from taking a shower while his visible skin glistened. He was clad in tight black leather pants and a skin-tight silver tank top that showed off his lithe but well-defined muscles. He had a black studded belt sitting diagonally across his waist. Leather fingerless gloves sat snugly on his hands and a studded bracelet was tight on his wrist.

His shoes were black combat boots with silver laces. His pants were loosely tucked into his combat boots and he had a pair of black-tinted sunglasses in hand. He slipped them on top of his head and looked at Chang.

Chang was shocked to see that Rock’s eyes were now a stunning shade of violet with a thin ring of deep purple around the outside.

“What happened to your eyes…and your hair? Hair doesn’t magically grow in 2 minutes! And it most certainly doesn't change from black to red!” He exclaimed incredulously.

“Colored contacts and a wig Mr. Chang…they work wonders for hiding a man’s identity.” Rock explained with a smile.

Chang’s mind was in overdrive.  He had never known that Rock could dress like that…let alone actually owned clothes that looked like that. It was entirely different and with a jolt, Chang realized that this was what Rock should look like; it looked entirely _right_ on Rock.

"Ready to go?" Rock asked, smiling at the look he received. In his shocked state, Chang had just noticed the suitcase he held in his hands.

Chang blushed at being caught gaping like some common idiot and nodded. "Sure let's go." He said. They walked out of Rock's apartment and back down the elevator.

Driving away from his house, Rock found that while angry, he was actually kind of glad that the Lagoon Company had turned traitor.  It was time that Krishna came out to play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kings Vadisi is Azerbaijani for Valley of the Kings. I used Azerbaijan as the country that this battle took place in because, though less well known, it was a part of the Soviet Union.
> 
> By the way, Cruor is Latin for blood, slaughter, and murder.


	3. Reflections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krishna reflects on things and has a talk with Chang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Christmas guys! This one is dedicated to Mason. Hope you like it!
> 
> The Italics are thoughts.

Krishna slowly woke up as a distinct feeling of wrongness settled over him.  Keeping his eyes closed so as not to alert anyone to his current state of being, Krishna forced his still slightly sluggish brain to think. He couldn’t feel any restraints so that means he hadn’t been kidnapped.  Whatever he was on was really soft and there was a pillow under his head.

Wait…pillow?

That’s when it all came back to him.  He was at Chang’s place. 

After they had left his apartment, Chang had driven him to the other side of Roanapur to a sprawling manor facing the ocean.  The manor was surrounded on two sides by forest and there was a beach in the distance. 

 _“This forest is pretty hampering in the way of defense.  If someone were to stand in the forest with the right kind of weapon, this house would be like Swiss cheese.”_ Krishna thought, mind slipping quickly into analytical mode.  _“Maybe Chang should invest in building a wall around the perimeter.  He could have a really nice gate out front to cover the wall’s real purpose.  Anybody looking at it would just think it’s some kind of decoration.”_

Under normal circumstances, or what used to be considered normal, he would have consulted Benny.  It always helped to have a second opinion on plans, especially important ones that dealt with defense of the base.  But now, that possibility was gone.  Krishna couldn’t talk to Benny; it would be too risky.  Maybe at some point he could call the Lagoon Company and pretend like he needed a job done.  With the others lured out, he could sneak in, kidnap Benny, and bring him back to Chang’s without anyone the wiser.

Krishna’s planning was brought up short as feelings slammed into him.  It seemed that some of Rock’s personality was still left over.  That wasn’t all that surprising seeing as how Krishna had been buried for so long.

Betrayal. Rage. Grief.  An anguish that he had never felt before swept through his body, leaving hollowness behind.  After being with the Lagoon Company for all that time, he couldn’t believe that he had been thrown away so easily.  Sure he wasn’t all that useful ( _Wow Krishna you sure did a great job on burying yourself_ ) but after being in so many life or death situations, a certain camaraderie was developed. Or so he had thought.

He had even had feelings for Revy! Rock thought he even loved her! And she felt nothing in return…all he was to her was a tool to be used at her leisure.  All the times that he had cared for her after fights and helped her and this was the thanks he got?

Anger filled him suddenly and he kicked the bed, conscious of the fact that this wasn’t his house and he didn’t want to destroy anything.  Cursing because of his now manically throbbing toe, Krishna flopped heavily onto the bed.  His chest was heaving with anger and his fists were tightly clenched.

“Krishna, are you okay? I thought I heard you cursing?” Chang said as he came bursting in the door.

“I’m fine.” Krishna pressed out through gritted teeth.  “Just sorting through some residual Rock stuff.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Chang asked, slightly concerned for the man who had seen too much.

The pair sat there in silence as Krishna seemed to struggle with something internally.  Finally, he blurted, “Rock loved Revy.”

Chang was momentarily shocked.  “Really?” That was certainly not what he had expected for Krishna to say.

“Yeah…God only knows why. She’s loud and vulgar and gets drunk a lot.  She would never survive if she was thrust into the real world.  Roanapur may seem bad but you and I both know there are worse things out there.” Krishna said darkly, mind going back to the months he spent in that dark room.

“Loving someone isn’t such a bad thing.” Chang said slowly although he too seemed to agree on Krishna’s opinion of Revy.

“Love is overrated. My mother loved the traitor and look where that got her.  I never allowed myself that option.  I didn’t have time for something as frivolous as dating or relationships.” Krishna snorted as if he thought the very idea the epitome of ridiculousness.  “And maybe that’s why I struggled so hard with myself the first few years after I came back.  Rock needed to be a person who loved easily, almost too easily, and who had a large capacity to care for others.”

Chang opened his mouth to retort when something seemed to stick in his mind.  “You talk as if you have two separate personalities.”

“Not quite.” Krishna said with a cynical grin.  “But for all intents and purposes true.  For ten years I buried my true self away.  I locked myself away in the deep recesses of my mind, so far that I had no knowledge of my true nature or what I had done.  I created a totally new personality so very different from my own that there was no way that we could ever be recognized as the same person.  I fashioned myself a new name and threw myself into my new life.  So yeah, I guess you could say Rock and I are two separate personalities, but it’s not entirely true because we are the same person.”

Chang was impressed.  He had just expected Krishna to say he had Multiple Personality Disorder or something but with that bitter explanation, all his assumptions had been blown out of the water.  “So you don’t have Multiple Personality Disorder?”

Krishna smiled in amusement.  “No, I don’t have Split Personality.  I’m very much just one person.  And you know what they say about assumptions, Mr. Chang.”

Chang had the grace to blush faintly at the soft rebuke in Krishna’s tone.  He did indeed know what they said about assumptions.

“Thanks for listening to me, Mr. Chang.” Krishna said softly, a small smile on his face.

“I hardly even did anything.” Chang denied modestly, blush deepening. _”Why is this happening to me? Why do I blush like a little schoolgirl when I’m around him?”_ Chang thought in consternation.

“It may not seem like you helped but believe me, you did.  It helps just to have someone listen as I try to figure out my problems.” Krishna reassured.

“Well in that case, you’re welcome.  I’m glad I could help.” Chang said with a soft smile.

They sat in companionable silence, Krishna thinking deeply on his life as Rock and what needed to happen now that Cruor is back and Chang simply being there as support for Krishna so he knew that he wasn’t alone.

Krishna looked at his watch and cursed.  It was 8 o’clock and he was still in his night clothes! He was due in Balalaika’s office in half an hour!

Krishna jumped up from the bed, startling Chang so bad that he fell to the floor, and frenetically started to gather suitable clothing and toiletries from his suitcase.  Chang watched in bemusement as Krishna tried to put his pants over his head before cursing and putting them on the right way. 

Chang got up from the floor, chuckling, and approached the still cursing Soviet.  “Calm down, Krishna.  All you’re doing is making this harder.  Just slow down and you’ll be done in time.” He said soothingly as he finished buttoning the shirt that Krishna had been cursing to the Nine Circles of Hell.

“See what happens when you take things slow?” Chang said softly.  All at once, the situation became super charged.  The air was thick and hot as the two males stared into each other’s eyes.  Chang, as if snapping out of a trance, took a slow step back to look Krishna over as he finished dressing.

He was dressed in semi-loose burgundy cargo pants that clung to his hips and managed to hide the knives he had strapped to his legs and were held up with a plain black belt.  His shirt was a steel colored muscle shirt, which clearly showed his muscled abs through the thin, clingy fabric.  Krishna wore a loose black button up with a blood red embroidering of the entwined sickle and hammer of the former Soviet Union splayed across the back.  His feet were held snug in the same pair of combat boots from last night. A pair of silver fingerless leather gloves was on his hands and his studded bracelet sat against his wrist.

“Well? Do I pass inspection?” Krishna asked teasingly when he noticed Chang looking him up and down.

“Ah.” Chang affirmed, tearing his eyes from the entirely too tempting sight in front of him.

“Well, sorry to wake up and run but I now have about 20 minutes to get over to Balalaika’s.  15 once I brush my teeth and hair.” Krishna said as he brushed past Chang and went into the bathroom.  True to his words, he came out five minutes later with his hair in a simple braid down his back and teeth sparkling.

“You haven’t eaten anything.” Chang protested.

“I won’t die from skipping one meal.” Krishna said with a shrug.  Chang glared at him but was met with an icy stare.  Giving up with a huff, he led Krishna downstairs and tossed him a set of keys.  “Those belong to the black Porsche in the garage.  Take it; you’ll get there faster.”

Krishna caught them in midair and twirled them around his finger.  “Thanks Chang!” Krishna said with a roguish smirk.  Chang thought that perhaps he might come to regret letting Krishna use his car.

 


End file.
